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March 2016 Expenses and Blog Income

April 13, 2016 by Jennifer 9 Comments

We have to talk. It’s not you, it’s me. We’ve had a good run, but it’s time to take a break. Deleting the (there are affiliate links in this post) Zulily app was one thing, but now I’m going to attempt being Target-free for a while. I know what you’re thinking… She’s lost it, gone completely mad. But when my sister-in-law told me she had stopped going, I realized it was possible.

It always starts with an innocent list; shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste. The basics. Then I enter the store, and all financial sanity goes out the window. They’re not always frivolous purchases. My son really did need that rain coat, he didn’t have one. And my daughter’s been asking for new pajamas. Look at that, they’re on clearance!

Well NO MORE! I’m not just saying this because I’m an affiliate for them (but please feel free to use my links to browse around), but I get the Essentials Bundle, as well as the Diapers and Wipes Bundle from The Honest Company, and they are awesome. That pretty much covers all our needs outside of groceries, and then we can use Amazon for all the one off’s. We’ll see how this goes!

Now on to our Expenses and Blog Income for March:

GROCERY EXPENSES:

TRADER JOE’S – $670

OTHER GROCERY – $402 (This is when my husband stops at the grocery store for breakfast or lunch at work.)

GROCERY TOTAL – $1,072 (Ouch, will have to work on that other!!!)

TAKE OUT EXPENSES: $315 (Down a little bit from last month, but not enough to make up for the increased grocery bill.)

SHOPPING EXPENSES: 

REI – $214 (Apparently we didn’t get enough from the Patagonia sale last month to fulfill our outdoor apparel needs. Plus we got our REI dividend.)

WALMART – $45

ZURCHERS – $94 (This is a party store, I had to get supplies for my daughter’s 5th birthday party.)

WAYFAIR – $104

COSTCO – $15

AMAZON – $100 (Paying off Christmas)

TARGET – $100

SHOPPING TOTAL – $672

TOTAL EXPENSES – $2,059 (Ok, well clearly this whole “accountability” thing is not working as well as I was hoping… can I just chalk that up to imperfection? Or hopefully I made some of you feel better about what you’re spending each month. You’re welcome.)

And now on to the BLOG INCOME portion. If this is your first time reading, you may be wondering why I’m adding this in as well… It is my goal to eventually be able to earn a full time income on this blog. While I am still a VERY long ways from that, I wanted to keep track from the beginning to help see what’s working and what’s not. So in the interest of budgeting, full disclosure, and full accountability, I invite you to follow along on my progress. (By the way if you are also interested in starting your own website, Bluehost is a great place to begin, and if you use this link it’s only $3.95/month.)

GOOGLE ADSENSE – $0.41

IZEA – $5.50

AMAZON – $0

TARGET – $0

THE HONEST COMPANY – $0

ZULILY – $0

BLOG INCOME TOTAL – $5.91

I actually had earned a little from Amazon, but they took it away because apparently they somehow linked the purchase to have come from one of my friends. If I didn’t use Amazon for everything I would consider removing them as an affiliate, but I suppose someday a “stranger” (however Amazon determines that) will buy something through my site.

I’ve signed up for a few other affiliate and paid sponsorship companies, but I’m going to really focus on building a genuine following before spending too much time applying for them. Mark my words though, one of these days you will be reading this post and it will have a comma and more zeros in there.

 

 

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Filed Under: Blog Expense & Income Reports Tagged With: blog, budget, expenses, income, March

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Comments

  1. Luana Spinetti says

    April 13, 2016 at 4:53 pm

    Getting started earning online is always tough, but you DID start, so go girl, you can do it! ;) Have you considered freelance blogging, too? I mean, blogging for clients at their blogs. I'm a freelance blogger/writer myself, there are opportunities out there. You could check out Jobs.Problogger.net to start. Ugh, grocery spending is a kill x_x But really, food money goes pretty quickly when you have kids. Big hugs, Luana
    Reply
    • Jennifer says

      April 13, 2016 at 4:58 pm

      Thanks so much Luana, I'll look into that!
      Reply
  2. Uldean says

    April 13, 2016 at 5:14 pm

    The story of my life. I go in the store for one thing and come out with a whole cart. Good luck on your house cleaning. It is important to (on occasion) take a stock of our spending etc.
    Reply
    • Jennifer says

      April 13, 2016 at 8:58 pm

      Ugh, I'm hoping the online shopping will curb that!
      Reply
  3. Jana says

    April 13, 2016 at 7:39 pm

    I'm impressed you only spent $15 at Costco!!
    Reply
  4. chloe | boxwood avenue says

    April 13, 2016 at 7:56 pm

    I think it's silly that Amazon removes income from friends - my friends are some of the most loyal people who listen to my word of mouth "advertising" - the only reason I like amazon for affiliate linking is because it's so EASY!
    Reply
    • Jennifer says

      April 13, 2016 at 8:57 pm

      I hear you Chloe!
      Reply
  5. Agnes says

    April 18, 2016 at 7:26 pm

    I really wish I was more disciplined when I am grocery shopping, i can never stick to my list.
    Reply
    • Jennifer says

      April 18, 2016 at 7:53 pm

      It's amazing how much of a difference it makes for me!
      Reply

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Welcome, I'm Jen! I'm here to offer realistic (sometimes semi-green) parenting, eating, and homemaking tips so that you can embrace life and let go of perfection. Because if I can do it, you can do it! Get to know more of Jen →

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